Whether you were a straight-A student or spent more time in the principal's office, chances are you had a memorable teacher. And if you didn't have one in your own life, you almost certainly did through the movies. The greatest teacher characters in film inspired their students – and sometimes intimidated them. These fictional teachers made audiences laugh, cry, and maybe even learn.
Read through this list of the best teacher characters in film, and you'll notice a wide range of scholastic specialties. The Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, as seen in the Harry Potter films, boasted one of the most magically gifted faculties around. Professors Albus Dumbledore and Severus Snape both appear on this list. Less magical, but no less inspiring, is Robin Williams's role as John Keating from Dead Poets Society. The iconic actor appears on this list again, as Sean Maguire in Good Will Hunting.
Some teachers are most memorable as strict disciplinarians. Take Terence Fletcher, the temperamental music teacher from 2014's Whiplash. He's the kind of teacher most students would be happy to avoid.
Now it's your turn to determine who makes the honor roll. Vote up your favorite fictional teachers, and add any characters that are missing. And if you like these characters, be sure to check out our list of inspirational teacher movies.
1
5022John Keating
Dead Poets SocietyActor: Robin Williams
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3617Sean Maguire
Good Will HuntingActor: Robin Williams
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3923Professor Severus Snape
Harry Potter UniverseActor: Alan Rickman
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2610Mr. Kesuke Miyagi
The Karate Kid, Part IIActor: Pat Morita
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2919Yoda
Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes BackActor: Tom Kane, Frank Oz
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219Remus Lupin
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2Actor: David Thewlis
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2110Obi-Wan Kenobi
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Star Wars: The Clone WarsActor: Ewan McGregor, James Arnold Taylor, Alec Guinness
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2721Professor Albus Dumbledore
Harry Potter UniverseActor: Michael Gambon, Richard Harris
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2520Dewey Finn
School of RockActor: Jack Black
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147Terence Fletcher
WhiplashActor: J.K. Simmons
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1610Detective John Kimble
Kindergarten CopActor: Arnold Schwarzenegger
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1914Ms. Norbury
Mean GirlsActor: Tina Fey
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2220Indiana Jones
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Disaster MovieActor: Harrison Ford, Tony Cox, River Phoenix
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1412Mark Thackeray
To Sir, with LoveActor: Sidney Poitier
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1312Professor Dave Jennings
National Lampoon's Animal HouseActor: Donald Sutherland
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97Louanne Johnson
Dangerous MindsActor: Michelle Pfeiffer
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1211Melvin B. Tolson
The Great DebatersActor: Denzel Washington
181314Mr. Vargas
Fast Times at Ridgemont HighActor: Vincent Schiavelli
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98John Nash
A Beautiful MindActor: Russell Crowe
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89Glenn Holland
Mr. Holland's OpusActor: Richard Dreyfuss
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1317Mr. Hand
Fast Times at Ridgemont HighActor: Ray Walston
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Bill Rago
Renaissance ManActor: Danny DeVito
23
710William Forrester
Finding ForresterActor: Sean Connery
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711Annie Sullivan
The Miracle Worker, DeliveranceActor: Anne Bancroft, Edith Lyle, Patty Duke
25
69Arthur Chipping
Goodbye, Mr. ChipsActor: Robert Donat, Peter O'Toole
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